LENTE urges public to report incidents of abuse of state resources

MANILA, Philippines — Election watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) encouraged the public to report incidents of government officials “politicizing” state programs for their electoral advantage in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) 2023.

In a statement on Wednesday, LENTE said that any incidents of abuse of state resources (ASR) can be reported anonymously through their “‘Wag Kang Kukurap! Accountability Lab” portal, which can be accessed on their official website.

The portal was just launched this year for the sole purpose of gathering ASR reports.

Among the examples of ASR are the use of government vehicles to transport supporters to political rallies, the presence of incumbent officials seeking another term during the distribution of government assistance, and the use of public-covered courts as storage and distribution areas for campaign materials.

“Abuse of State Resources (ASR) significantly erodes the foundations of electoral integrity and fair competition as it distorts the political landscape to the benefit of the incumbent candidate,” read the statement.

Alleged ASR incidents recorded so far

In the same statement, LENTE said that they have already observed purported ASR incidents since the beginning of the election period on August 28, particularly in one of the cities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“In particular, incumbent barangay officials, who now seek reelection, were observed providing temporary shelters to their constituents with plans of converting the same into daycare centers,” the group said, adding that immunization programs and the donation of educational materials were also conducted in the residences of local officials.

ASR was also reported in one of the cities in south Cotabato, LENTE furthered.

It said that free circumcisions, x-rays, and human immunodeficiency virus tests were spearheaded by local government officials with the goal of “highlighting their supported candidates for the upcoming barangay elections.”

Another ASR incident documented by LENTE was scholarship-grant distributions where a voter’s identification card was required.

“Collectively, these programs also fall under the rubric of premature campaigning in the context of the BSKE. These, too, are presumed unlawful unless a prior exemption has been granted by the Comelec [Commission on Elections],” LENTE said.

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